Rep. Peter Welch launches Senate bid for Leahy's seat
November 22, 2021
Vermont Rep. Peter Welch announced Monday he will run for Senate next year to fill the seat held by retiring Sen. Patrick Leahy.
"I'm running for the United States Senate to work for you, for Vermont, for our country, and for our imperiled democracy," Welch, a Democrat, tweeted. In a roughly two-minute campaign announcement video, he lamented that his party's legislative priorities — including expanded voting rights, Medicare for All and the Green New Deal — were being "filibustered by the Mitch McConnell Republicans in the Senate."
It was widely anticipated that Welch would launch a bid for Leahy's seat; as the representative for Vermont's at-large House district since 2007, Welch is the only other member of the state's congressional delegation besides independent Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Leahy, a Democrat, announced last week he would not seek reelection in 2022. The 81-year-old lawmaker is the president pro tempore of the Senate and longest-serving member in the chamber, first elected in 1974.
Welch, 74, is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus who recently has been focused on drug pricing legislation. He serves on the House Intelligence Committee, chairing its Defense Intelligence and Warfighter Support Subcommittee. Welch also is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Oversight and Reform Committee.
Source: https://www.politico.com/
